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Printing, Printing & Printing Some More – Lots of Pictures

I have been very busy getting all the pieces printed for the two Silent Garden tops as well as the remaining few pieces I needed for the Harpsichord Quilt.

It’s a fabulously quick process – just iron freezer paper to fabric, print. And I was doing a lot of that – practically wearing a hole in the floor from the ironing board to the computer/printer.

It’s much better explained in this video by Linda Franz, the inventor of Inklingo, than if I were to try to explain it with pictures & typed explanations. It really is as easy and quick as it looks in the video.

First I printed some gold octagons for the Harpsichord Quilt.

Then some black octagons.

Which resulted in these lovely stacks of octagons.

Which were then sorted into little stacks and kitted up. There are 12 glassine envelopes just like this one, full of the pieces needed for the remaining Harpsichord Quilt blocks.

Then it was time to start printing the remaining hexagons, triangles and kites I need for the two Silent Garden tops. I forgot to take pictures of the triangles before they were already cut apart and ready to kit up.

These are just some of the many beige hexagons printed for the brown & blue top. I realized soon after I started that I have more than enough of the beige for this. That was a relief as I wasn’t sure I had anything else in my stash that would even come close.

And a few of the many sheets of white hexagons that have been printed for the Kona Bay/Tranquil Garden top.

Some of the sheets of the batik kites for the blue & brown top. I tried to enhance the photo as much as I could to show the lines. They are very obvious to me in person, but they didn’t show up too well in the photo.

As well as some of the sheets of the teal kites for the Kona Bay/Tranquil Garden top.

Once cut apart, I make little kits for the stars. As all the stars are already made, these are kits of the pieces that are used for the setting.

Which will all eventually get stacked like these.

Which is actually a stack of the pieces for four blocks – a brown & blue Silent Garden block, a Harpsichord Block, a Tranquil Garden block and another Harpsichord Block.

I find that spending the little bit of time it takes to kit everything like this helps as I can just pick up a stack and start sewing, knowing that everything is there that I need for a few blocks. With all the opportunities for continuous sewing these blocks provide, having all the pieces kitted up just makes sense – it’s a great way to keep sewing and not have to stop to look for pieces I need.

“Production Line”

Jake is still hoping for some activity out on the roof garden.

Baxter decided to take a very good look on Sunday. He sat on the windowsill for quite a while, just staring out. I think he was trying to will something to appear and entertain them.

Jake, Baxter…… psssst, I heard the birdies singing at my house the last couple of days. It has been rather “bird” quiet here for a long while too. Although CinnaMon is in the window supervising the little noisy yellow bird flying around (pilot flying on fertilizer).

Having everything ready to sew makes it so much easier to just pick up the little stack and start sewing – for me it’s worthwhile spending the little bit of time it takes ot get everything to that stage.

I use a rotary cutter and cut the pieces apart on the cutting lines. It’s a very quick process!

I love how you organise all the block pieces. I much prefer preparing all the pieces and cutting fabric to the sewing part. Your fabrics are all lovely. Do you use regular thickness patchwork cotton or do you choose finer ones like Liberty Tana Lawn?

I just find being this organized makes it much easier to stick with a project so it’s worthwhile spending the time. I generally prefer certain manufacturers’ regular quilting cottons and, of course, batiks. Some of the manufacturers’ cottons are thicker/coarser and those are ones I avoid. I’ve never worked with Liberty Tana Lawn – can’t even remember seeing it in a store here. Is it comparable to a batik or a Kona Bay fabric in any way?

I love batiks too. Liberty Tana Lawn is probably similar in thickness to batiks. Maybe if I bought some Kona Bay fabrics I’d get on with some hand piecing. I want to do it but never seem to find the time. I need to stop making excuses and get on with it don’t I?

If you’re going to try some Kona Bay, look for it fast as they shut down last year and so the fabrics are getting scarce. It’s really sad as they are wonderful to work with – press like a dream too. I’m going to have to look for the Liberty Tana Lawn fabrics as I love working with batiks.